Roku tips: How to make the most of your streamer

Roku’s streaming containers, streaming sticks, and smart TVs have a popularity for being easy to use, but that doesn’t imply each beneficial feature is plain from the begin. Dig a touch deeper, and you’ll find lots of tricks and hidden capabilities that make the experience even higher.

Installing all of your favoured songs and video apps may be an ache when you’re putting in a Roku for the first time. Instead of thumbing round with the far off, use the Roku Channel Store internet site to put in lots of apps quickly. Just log into your account, look for the apps you need, then choose “Add channel.” You also can install apps via the Roku app for iOS and Android.

Once you’ve established all of your apps, the following step has to be to move your favourites up pinnacle. To rearrange the app list, press the * button whilst highlighting any app, then pick out “Move channel.” Use the arrow keys to select a new spot and press OK when you’re performed.

You can also disable Roku’s “Featured Free” segment from the same menu, although I think that is a pretty accessible characteristic.

Find free stuff
rokufeaturedfree
Roku
Speaking of unfastened content material, Roku gives plenty of it. You can of route download individual unfastened video apps, including Sony Crackle, Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, but you may also tune down unfastened movies and indicates directly from Roku’s menus.

DID YOU KNOW ROKU MAKES SPEAKERS?

Roku TV Wireless Speakers
Read TechHive’s assessment
Learn Moreon Roku
The Featured Free phase digs up unfastened films and suggests from diverse apps, consisting of those I referred to above. If you’re seeking out something specific—and you’ve got a Roku that helps voice controls—you may search for specific genres by means of voice. Try announcing “unfastened sitcoms” or “free technology-fiction suggests.” Roku will return a list of results with as a minimum one free supply.

Track the stuff you’re watching
rokufeed
Jared Newman / IDG
With the “My Feed” phase of Roku’s home display, you could comply with specific films, suggests, actors, or administrators, and be notified while new content material arrives or costs drop. Just look for something, then look for the “Follow on Roku” alternative inside the end result. You also can browse for films and indicates to comply with via the My Feed phase.

Navigate quicker
Roku remote
Jared Newman / IDG
Now that your Roku is loaded with apps and content, use those hints to get around with fewer clicks at the remote:

On the house display screen, press speedy ahead or rewind to page up or down via your app list. This additionally works in maximum menus and in many 1/3-birthday party apps.
Get again to the top of your app listing from anywhere by way of double-tapping the home button.
In a few apps (which include Netflix), the press plays even as highlighting an application to pass the outline web page and bounce right into the circulation.
Use the Replay button
rokureplay
Jared Newman / IDG
Missed a chunk of conversation that was too difficult to listen? Hit the far off’s Replay button (the only with the arrow transferring counter-clockwise) to speedy bounce lower back 10 seconds. You can also set the Replay button to encompass captions via heading to Settings > Accessibility > Captions mode, then choosing “On replay.”

Make conversation less difficult to understand
rokuvolume
Jared Newman / IDG
Roku offers a couple of clean methods to normalize the volume on its streaming gamers. “Night” mode keeps the quantity down at some point of loud scenes, whilst “Leveling” compresses the general extent range so that you can listen to quiet scenes without getting jolted from something loud a minute later.

MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE

Roku Premiere+ (2018)

Read TechHive’s review
$ forty-nine.99See Iton Roku
Access those functions by using urgent the * button during any video, scrolling down to “Volume Mode,” and then scrolling left or proper.

Use the Roku app for higher browsing
rokuwhatson
Jared Newman / IDG
The loose Roku app for iOS and Android does greater than simply provide a virtual far-flung. It additionally consists of an on hand “What’s On” menu, wherein you may find matters to observe from across specific apps. Take a look whilst you’re feeling indecisive.

Set a custom screensaver
Roku screensaver
Jared Newman / IDG
Is Roku’s default screensaver feeling a bit stale? Load your very own pix rather the usage of the free Roku app for iOS and Android. Open the app, head to the “Photos+” tab, choose Screensaver, and then pick the images you need to seem.

Listen privately (with wired or Bluetooth headphones)
Roku private
Jared Newman / IDG
If you have got a Roku Ultra or every other participant with a 3.5mm jack built into the far off, you may listen privately via plugging in any set of headphones or earbuds.

For different Roku gamers, you may pay attention privately via the free Roku app for iOS and Android. Head to the “Remote” tab of the app, hit the menu button at top of the display, and then set the “Private Listening” toggle to On. Now, you can plug in a few stressed out headphones, join wi-fi earbuds, or even listen through your phone’s audio system.

Send video from Netflix and YouTube
rokuchromecast
Jared Newman / IDG
With Netflix and YouTube, you can ship videos from a cell phone or tablet for your Roku participant simply as you will with Google’s Chromecast streamer. Just open either app while your Roku is at the identical Wi-Fi network, hit the Cast button, and then pick out your Roku from the listing. Any video you pick out will then seem on the TV instead of your mobile device. This additionally works from a pc the usage of Google’s Chrome browser.

MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE

Roku Ultra (2018)
$89.00See Iton Amazon
If you’d like to beam your non-public media documents to Roku, the best manner is to use AllCast, a free app for iOS and Android. (Roku’s app gives similar capability, but the interface isn’t as exact and it doesn’t integrate with cloud storage.) When you release the app, it needs to detect your Roku automatically, at which factor you can pick out images, motion pictures, and track to play on the massive screen. (Removing advertisements and video deadlines requires the $5 Premium app.)